TV Can't Do Augusta's Intricacies Justice

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- While standing on the 10th tee box at Augusta National, you notice that the Statue of Liberty has been moved and is sitting 495 yards away on the hole's putting green.

Now for the real surprise: You are staring straight into her eyes.

This week's Masters may draw more television viewers than any other event in golf, but Augusta National is one of the few venues in all of sports that TV cannot flatter. The big reason is cameras cannot do justice to the property's change of elevation and rolling terrain.

The 10th fairway is one of the best examples. The hole's elevation drops more than 100 feet as it doglegs down and left to the green. That's about eye-level with Lady Liberty.

"You walk down hill a long way, then you get to somewhat of a flat spot ... somewhat," Heath Slocum said. "Then it's further down hill and then you finally reach bottom.

"It's amazing. And then you have to gradually play up that whole slope again at the 18th. Some of the things are so deceiving out there."

What you see is not always what you get at Augusta.

Everybody recognizes the par-3 12th hole, the beautiful azaleas framing the green. What no one ever sees is the shape of the putting surface.

The width of the putting surface is wide, at 108 feet -- about the same size as the wingspan of a 737 passenger jet. The depth? That's another thing. At just 36 feet, the target is almost tiny.

"It's a tournament that's great to watch on television and is watched by millions and millions," Sweden's Henrik Stenson said. "But they can not appreciate how hilly it is. That's the most striking for everybody who goes there the first time -- even if they have watched it on television. They just go, wow."

Couples Knows Augusta

Nine Champions Tour players are in the Masters' 96-player field, but only one, Fred Couples, is getting a lot of pre-tournament attention.

"I like my chance of having fun and playing. But to win, you know, no. I think that would be a pipe dream. But I'm playing well and anything could happen."
- Fred Couples That's because, since turning 50 last October, Couples has played in four senior tour events, winning the last three in a row after debuting with a second to Tom Watson.

Couples, who just four years ago finished third, three shots behind winner Phil Mickelson, has made 24 Masters appearances and made 23 cuts. He also won in 1992.

"I like my chance of having fun and playing. But to win, you know, no," Couples said. "I think that would be a pipe dream. But I'm playing well and anything could happen.

"It wasn't that long ago that I battled with Phil. He won but I played well. My goal is like everyone else. Thursday is a big day. You got to play really well on this course. There's no give up in it. It's playing extremely long -- which helps me because I probably know the course as well as anybody."

Under the Radar

Not everything about the all-consuming, ever-present, patience-wearing, everything-Tiger is a total brain drain for other players.

Actually, in a backhanded way, for some it might be a blessing.

With one story line dominating this week's Masters, it will be much easier for all other potential contenders swoop in under the radar.

"I would say there's some truth to that for sure," said Mike Weir.

Weir understands from first-hand experience.

He won the 2003 Masters, the year Martha Burk's demand for female membership dominated pre-tournament news.

"I mean, going into 2003, I don't think anybody was playing any better," Weir said. "I had won twice. I was in contention; it seemed like every week I was playing great golf. I was hardly asked a question before the tournament started."

Duval's Return

David Duval's pro golf plight is no secret.

He was once the No. 1 ranked player in the world. He is the winner of 13 PGA Tour titles, including the 2001 British Open.

And then he fell like a rock, dropping all the way out of the world's top 800 ranked players.

Who even knew there were 800 players good enough to be ranked?
But slowly and persistently, Duval, 38, has climbed back to respectability. He finished tied for second in last year's U.S. Open to earn this week's return to Augusta for his 11th Masters, but first since 2006. Twice during his career, in 1998 and in 2001, he finished second at Augusta.

"Just started playing better, I guess," Duval said, when asked to explain his return. "I mean, that's kind of what it boils down to. I wasn't playing well for a stretch of time and had struggles physically, and then I hung on with my golf game and it's taken a while to put back together and I'm starting to reap some of the rewards of that work, and that's where I'm here, as a result of last year's U.S. Open."

Duval's fall from the spotlight was difficult, but he insists is never made him start to hate the game.

"I think that the fact that I'm playing, the answer is, no, I never got to hate it," he said. "If I hated it, I would have stopped doing it. Doesn't make much sense to do something you don't like to do. Gets more fun as you start to hit the golf ball better and you start to do better things, and that starts to stoke the fire, I guess, if you will."